Gallery: 20 Outrageous Athlete Rides

Intro

With two major sports lockouts this year (including the ongoing NBA lockout), many pro athletes have been forced to lessen their lavish lifestyles and tag popping tendencies, if not halt them completely for the time being. Not everyone who plays in the NFL or the NBA has lucrative endorsement deals like LeBron James or can rake in money from playing a few games internationally like Kobe Bryant. In times like these, pro ballers can't afford to ball so hard that the IRS wants to find them. When the money stops rolling in, even some of sports' biggest names can end up penning books that have a thick chapter 11. That's why we decided to take a look at some of the most outrageous rides ever purchased by athletes who had little regard for the rainy day that could always be right around the corner.

Mike Tyson

20. Mike Tyson

Ride: Lamborghini Jeep LM002, 1986
Complex Says: The words Lamborghini and Jeep don't exactly click together for most people. But between 1986 and 1993, 328 such vehicles were manufactured in the form of the Lamborghini LM002. Among its many famous owners (including Sylvestor Stallone, Tina Turner, Pablo Escobar, Muammar Gaddafi, and Uday Hussain) was Mike Tyson. On his way to going bankrupt after earning over $140 million during his career, the powerful boxer added this white Lambo jeep to his expensive garage collectibles. Certainly not the most economical vehicle, the LM002 rolled on some expensive 345/60/17 Pirelli Scorpion Zero's, and it had a 76-gallon fuel tank, which only allowed for 460 miles of travel before hitting “E."

Marion Barber

19. Marion Barber

Ride: Chevrolet Impala, 1971
Complex Says: Marion Barber of the Dallas Cowboys seems to be in need of a return on his investment on this 1971 Chevy Impala, which he spent $130,000 building with all the trimmings, including 24-karat gold rims and a suede interior. Last month, the running back put the souped-up ride on eBay, where it elicited bids amounting to less than he put into it. (Asking price was $82,998.) We guess “The Barbarian” lives by the 2 Chainz motto: “It's mine, I spend it.”

Andrew Bynum

18. Andrew Bynum

Ride: Nissan GT-R, 200
Complex Says: Los Angeles Lakers Center Andrew Bynum is a known car fanatic who customizes all his vehicles at Platinum Motorsport in Los Angeles. Back in 2009, he was pushing this Nissan GT-R, which boasts 580HP engine. The 7-footer's ride was equipped with a WALD aerokit, frog lights, and a unique, but high-quality bumper, all of which sit on 22-inch matte black agetro rims.

Willie Green

17. Willie Green

Ride: Lamborghini Diablo, 1999
Complex Says: During Super Bowl XXXIII, the Denver Broncos' Willie Green was seen zooming around in this Lamborghini Diablo. In a rare moment of frugality for all the athletes on this list, Green never actually purchased the $300,000 vehicle, but instead simply rented it for 30 days at a price of $1,900 a day. In recent years, he's been seen driving a Dodge Ram. We're also willing to bet he saved a ton of money on his car insurance by switching to Geico.

Rob Dyrdek

16. Rob Dyrdek

Ride: Campagna T-Rex, 2007
Complex Says: Skateboarder and reality TV star Rob Dyrdek always breaks out some serious toys on his MTV show "Fantasy Factory," and the Campagna T-Rex cycle-car is no exception. Constructed by Canada's Campagna Corporation, the three-wheel, two-seater T-Rex, which is classified as a motorcycle, has been on the market since the early '90s. This low-to-the-ground, open vehicle can reach speeds of 157mph, and it goes from zero to 60mph in 3.5 seconds. The ballpark price for these bad-ass street legal wheels is $54,000. If you've watched Rob's show, particularly season one, you know he loves to drive rides like these around the office. If only we had slightly wider hallways....

Shaquille O'Neal

15. Shaquille O'Neal

Ride: Cadillac Escalade, 2003
Complex Says: Shaq Diesel is no small human being, so when he cops a whip, you can assume it will be something on a large scale. You know this 2003 Cadillac Escalade could only be Shaquille or Clark Kent's ride, by the Superman logo found at the center of the front grill. The logo is also engraved on each of the vehicles five spokes. The H2 rides on 26-inch Asanti AF127 wheels. Shaq Fu also happens to be a Rolls Royce fan. He even gave a white Phantom to Donald Trump as a wedding gift.

Thomas Jones

14. Thomas Jones

Ride: Ferrari 360 Modena Spyder, 2004
Complex Says: Kansas City Chiefs running back Thomas Jones wanted to add some extra flare to his orange Ferrari 360 Modena Spyder, and he had his initials “TJ” carved under the hood. Further implementing his personal swag on the Ferrari, Jones had matching orange rims installed to compliment his new ride. Jones is known for his lavish car collection, including his customized Rolls Royce Phantom and Range Rover.

Dwayne Wade

13. Dwyane Wade

Ride: Hummer H2 SUT, 2006
Complex Says: Taking the “King of Bling” award at the third annual GM All-Car showdown in 2006, Dwyane Wade's Hummer H2 SUT earned the Miami Heat guard his second accolade that summer, after he had just won his first NBA championship. Wade's whip sported 26-inch chrome rims that looked like they belonged in a Big Tymers music video.

Joe Johnson

12. Joe Johnson

Ride: Ford F-650 Super Truck XUV, 2008
Complex Says: Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson isn't big, but his Ford F-650 Super Truck XUV certainly is. After purchasing the big-body whip in 2008, the Little Rock native received a lot of attention for his behemoth mode of transportation. The player who makes more than Kobe Bryant dropped over $200,000 on his Ford truck, lacing it with three flatscreen TVs, a seat that converts into a bed, and a train horn, along with front and back cameras. Johnson was inspired to get the 200-gallon-tank ride when he saw Shaq's own super truck.

Alfonso Soriano

11. Alfonso Soriano

Ride: Hummer H2, 2005
Complex Says: This is not a promo vehicle for the Smurfs 3D film. This is what Alfonso Soriano bought with part of his eight-year, $136 million dollar contract with the Chicago Cubs. The all-blue-everything Hummer H2 looks like it was hooked up by Xzibit himself, with a colossal speaker system in the SUV's rear and the outfielder's name emblazoned on a chrome plaque on the front hood. No doubt a loud and excessive purchase for the Dominican import.

Chad Ochocinco

10. Chad Ochocinco

Ride: Ochocinco Truck, 2010
Complex Says: Last January, ever-newsworthy football star Chad Ochocinco sent out a Twitter picture of his birthday present to himself. The truck, which was valued at $100,000, was not a Ford or a Chevy, but was entirely custom-made and dubbed the “Ochocinco Truck.” Chad drove the truck into work that day where the Bengals were eliminated by Darrelle Revis and the Jets, who held No. 85 to just two catches and 28 yards. The vehicle drew attention from the game's commentators, who were puzzled at the wide receiver's shiny new toy.

Darius Miles

9. Darius Miles

Ride: Cadillac Coupe De Ville, 2007
Complex Says: Since his days on the L.A. Clippers, playing alongside Lamar Odom, Darius Miles wasn't one to shy away from showing off. While falling from the highlight reel and getting cut by the Memphis Grizzlies will greatly reduce those chances on the court, Darius still manages to garner an audience with his customized Cadillac Coupe De Ville. He juiced up the car with hydraulics, big body rims, and--the most oddly excessive alteration of all--an airbrushed mural of a naked woman and Benjamin Franklin on the dollar bill smoking a joint. Although kids aren't ripping Darius Miles posters out of magazine's and hanging them up on their walls, the baller who went straight to the pros from high school ensures that he's nobody's role model.

Shaquille O'Neal

8. Shaquille O'Neal

Ride: West Coast Customs monster truck, 2008
Complex Says: The bigger the better. That's what Shaq thinks when it comes to his automobiles. This West Coast Customs-designed monster truck is probably the biggest for one of the game's most dominant big men of all time. The gargantuan truck is adorned with Shaq's name, logo, and a few brands that managed to get some big product placement of the Big Aristotle's mega ride.

William Gallas

7. William Gallas

Ride: Mercedes-Benz SLR McClaren, 2009
Complex Says: For most stuntatstic athletes, it's their chains that provide the bling. But that's not the case with Arsenal defender Willliam Gallas. The French national, who plays in soccer's English Premier League, may have been stripped of his captain status during the 2008-2009 season, but no one has been able to strip their eyes off of his chrome-plated Mercedes-Benz SLR McClaren. Labeled as the fastest convertible in the world, the McLaren can go from 0 to 60mph in just 3.6 seconds, and it boasts a maximum speed of 207mph. The price for such a strikingly efficient vehicle: $535,000.

Cristiano Ronaldo

6. Cristiano Ronaldo

Ride: Bugatti Veyron, 2008
Complex Says: It would only be fitting that the world's highest-paid soccer star would be driving around in the world's most expensive brand name automobiles. Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has been seen on several occasions in his Bugatti Veyron, which goes for a whopping $1.7 million (base model), and can reach speeds of up to 253 mph. The Portuguese soccer player even faced off against the 1001hp of the Veyron in a viral ad campaign for Nike in 2008.

Tiger Woods

5. Tiger Woods

Ride: "Privacy" yacht, 2004
Complex Says: In 2004, Tiger Woods purchased a 155-foot-long mega-yacht as a wedding gift for his then-wife Elin Nordegren. A floating symbol of wealth, the $20 million “Privacy” is built out of material based on a fiberglass composite. Amenities include an eight-person Jacuzzi, two Vespa scooters, two kayaks, three SeaDoos, and a fitness center. Tiger initially purchased the yacht when it was only 70 percent complete, so that he could dictate specific custom touches to the final product. Due to Tiger's recent troubles and subsequent divorce, Elin returned “Privacy” to him because she wasn't keen on paying the $2 million annual upkeep for the yacht. Tiger put it on the market for $25 million.

Scottie Pippen

4. Scottie Pippen

Ride: Gulfstream II private jet, 2002
Complex Says: Hall of Famer and six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen has compiled a long list of bad business investments over the years. One of those investments was a $4.3 million Gulfstream II jet he bought in 2002. Apparently, Scottie had been taking so many charter flights to and from Portland while playing for the Trail Blazers that in 2002 a pilot convinced him it would be a good idea to invest in his own private jet. After the aircraft had already been purchased, it was revealed that necessary repairs on the engine costing roughly $1 million had gone unnoticed due to a missed inspection. Rather than pay for repairs, Pippen grounded the plain and sued his attorney for $8.2 million. It wasn't until last year that Pippen was finally awarded $2 million for the fiasco surrounding a plane that it appears he never took on a flight.

Latrell Sprewell

3. Latrell Sprewell

Ride: “Milwaukee's Best” yacht, 2001
Complex Says: Although a major part of a late-'90s New York Knicks team that made it to the NBA finals, Latrell Sprewell will always be best known for losing control and choking his coach, P.J. Carlesimo, while playing for the Golden State Warriors. Fast forward to post-basketball, and Sprewell again lost control, but this time of his finances, due in part to an Italian-made, 70-foot-long private yacht that he purchased for $1.5 million. Sprewell named the yacht “Milwaukee's Best,” after his hometown. But in 2007, a bank foreclosed when Sprewell failed to pay the boat's mortgage. Sprewell, who was also dealing with a foreclosure of his Milwaukee County home at the time, managed to sell the yacht at auction for $856,000. He still owed the bank nearly $500,000. The irony of the four-time all-star's financial woes is that he had turned down a three-year, $21 million contract extension from the Minnesota Timberwolves at the start of the 2004-2005 season, claiming, “I've got my family to feed,” as though the amount wasn't enough to keep food on the table.

Michael Jordan

2. Michael Jordan

Ride: Gulfstream IV private jet, 1991
Complex Says: Throughout his storied career, as arguably the greatest player in NBA history, Michael Jordan, aka “His Airness,” consistently dominated when taking flight to the basket. In his life after basketball, Jordan still manages to make his mark in mid-air with his multi-million dollar Gulfstream IV private jet. Bearing the colors of MJ's alma mater (UNC), this not-so-ordinary-looking plane is adorned with the unmistakable Jumpman logo on its rear fin and the inscription “N236MJ” on the engines. This symbolize Jordan's jersey number and six world championships.

Greg Norman

1. Greg Norman

Ride: "Aussie Rules" yacht, 2003
Complex Says: Ranked as the world's No. 1 golfer for more than 300 weeks, Greg Norman put the spoils of his winning streak on blast with this $70 million yacht, named “Aussie Rules.” The yacht holds diving gear for 30 people as well as a decompression chamber. A Nitrox mixing panel was also on board to properly mix gases for almost any type of dive. Smaller boats for fishing expeditions were also kept on board, along with a rescue boat and four WaveRunners. Also found on “Aussie Rules” is a home theater, dining room, and Jacuzzi. The company that built the massive watercraft sold it to the elite golfer “at cost” in the hopes that his ownership would translate to profitable PR. Unfortunately, the company ended up losing money. Mr. Norman, however, enjoyed the boat just fine.